88 homes. One building. A practical route to better oversight.
The roadmap

How the RTM process works

A company first. An invitation to every qualifying leaseholder. Then a properly served claim, a response period and a planned handover.

Step by step

The solicitor will control the statutory notices and deadlines. The steps below explain what leaseholders should expect.

  1. Recruit leaseholder directors

    Leaseholders will form and govern the RTM company. Prospective directors should be ready to provide the identity and contact details needed for company registration, including a Companies House personal code. The leaseholder group will organise the work, with the solicitor advising on the legal steps and Mylako available to support administration if appointed.

  2. Form the RTM company

    Register Richmond Gate RTM Company Limited as a company limited by guarantee using the prescribed RTM model articles. Directors will complete Companies House identity checks and provide the required personal code. The company is separate from the freeholder and from any managing agent.

  3. Confirm eligibility and addresses

    The solicitor checks the building, leases, landlord details, qualifying flats, company membership and statutory notice recipients. This is where the final participation threshold is confirmed.

  4. Invite all qualifying leaseholders

    The RTM company must give the required Notice of Invitation to Participate to qualifying tenants who are not already members. We will also write or email leaseholders in accessible plain English, share the proposal and explain how to join. The formal notice is the solicitor’s document; an informal email does not replace it.

  5. Wait at least 14 days and reach the threshold

    The claim notice cannot be served until at least 14 days after the invitation notice was given. At least half of the flats must be represented by RTM company members when the claim is made. Our Richmond Gate project threshold is 50% plus one: at least 45 of 88 flats. The statutory test and qualifying flats will be confirmed by the solicitor before the claim notice is served.

  6. Serve the Notice of Claim

    The RTM company serves the statutory claim notice on the landlord and relevant parties. The notice states the proposed acquisition date and must meet detailed legal requirements.

  7. Landlord’s counter-notice period

    The landlord normally has at least one month to serve a counter-notice. If the claim is disputed, the company may need to apply to the First-tier Tribunal within the applicable time limit. Legal advice will guide the response.

  8. Prepare the handover and contracts

    The company obtains the records and information it needs, confirms budgets and insurance arrangements, and finalises the managing-agent contract. The proposed Mylako management contract is expected to include a three-month notice period, subject to written agreement.

  9. RTM takes effect

    If no successful challenge prevents it, management transfers on the date specified in the claim notice. The statutory date must be at least three months after the landlord’s deadline for serving a counter-notice. Unspent service-charge or reserve funds are dealt with under the legal process.

How long? It is a several-month project. A challenge, missing information or a notice problem can extend the timetable. We will publish confirmed milestones once the company and solicitor have set them.

What happens after company formation?

After registration, the company can send membership information and the formal invitation notices. The project will email or write to leaseholders with the plain-English pack, a contact route and instructions for joining. We will keep a record of interest, but only the correctly completed company membership and statutory notices count for the legal process.

Become a director or member